TCU and Tech Look to Join Texas in College World Series Field on Sunday

June 08, 2014

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The Texas Longhorns punched one Big 12 ticket to the College World Series on Saturday, while TCU and Texas Tech picked up Super Regional series opening wins. With victories on Sunday, the Frogs and Red Raiders can join the Longhorns in Omaha’s field of eight. Oklahoma State saw its season come to a close with a 1-0 loss to UC Irvine. OSU concludes the year with 48 wins, a Big 12 regular season championship and the first NCAA Super Regional hosted in Stillwater.

The Big 12 is now 17-6 in NCAA postseason action and 4-2 in Super Regional play. The league is looking to advance three teams to Omaha for just the second time in the conference’s history (2005 - Baylor, Nebraska, Texas).

Sunday’s Schedule (June 8)

Advance to College World Series with wins

No. 16 College of Charleston at No. 10 Texas Tech [ESPNU] - 2:00 p.m.

No. 11 Pepperdine at No. 3 TCU [ESPNU] - 5:00 p.m.

Saturday’s Results (June 7)

No. 9 Texas 4, No. 5 Houston 0

Pitcher Parker French and the UT bullpen combined for Texas’ 11th shutout of the season, while the offense rallied for all four of its runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to claim UT’s record 35th trip to Omaha.

The two-game sweep over Houston puts the Longhorns back in the College World Series for the first time since 2011, and the eighth time since 2000, which leads the nation.

The UT offense scored all of its runs in the fourth inning, once again led by shortstop C.J Hinojosa, who had two hits and two RBI, including the two-run single that opened the scoring. Hinojosa is hitting .476 (10-for-21) so far in NCAA play, with two doubles and six RBI.

Six other Longhorns added a hit, including center fielder Mark Payton who singled in the first inning to extend his record reached-base streak to 101 straight games. Payton would also walk twice and score a run in the game. Left fielder Ben Johnson had the lone extra base hit of the game, a double to lead off the fourth inning that jump started the offense.

French was drafted in the MLB Draft today by the Detroit Tigers, but that news took a back seat to his pitching performance. He worked six scoreless innings on 87 pitches, allowing five hits, two walks and two hit batters, however he was able to work his way out of every jam to earn to his sixth win of the season.

Left-hander Travis Duke, righty Morgan Cooper, and right-hander John Curtiss came on in relief of French, combining for three more scoreless innings to finish the shutout. They allowed five hits and one walk over the three innings. The defense also came up huge this weekend, turning five double plays in two games.

Texas pitchers have a combined 1.15 ERA in six NCAA Tournament games.

No. 10 Texas Tech 1, No. 16 College of Charleston 0

No. 10 Texas Tech was led by junior left-handed pitcher Chris Sadberry’s eight shutout innings on its way to a 1-0 shutout over No. 16 College of Charleston in game one of the NCAA Lubbock Super Regional on Saturday afternoon in front of a Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park stadium record 4,811 fans in attendance.

Texas Tech (44-19) has a nation’s best 15 consecutive wins at home while having shutout three of its last four opponents – all coming in the NCAA Tournament. CofC drops to 44-18 on the season while suffering its first loss in the NCAA Tournament.

Sadberry, who yesterday was drafted in the sixth round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Miami Marlins, was dominating with four three-up, three-down innings, tallied at least one strikeout in six frames and allowed just two base runners to reach scoring position all game.

Sadberry finished allowing just four hits in eight shutout innings with eight strikeouts and didn’t allow a walk. Senior left-handed pitcher Jonny Drozd pitched a perfect ninth inning for his team-leading fourth save of the season.

The Red Raiders scored the game’s only run in the third inning when freshman Stephen Smith singled up the middle and two batters later scored on sophomore left fielder Tyler Neslony’s RBI triple to right-center field.

Sadberry and Tech’s defense did the rest while twice throwing out Cougars right fielder Brandon Glazer at home plate – both times trying to score on infield grounders.

No. 3 TCU 3, No. 11 Pepperdine 2

The Frog pitching trio of Brandon Finnegan, Trey Teakell and Riley Ferrell helped TCU to a game one, 3-2 victory over Pepperdine in the NCAA Super Regional Saturday afternoon. Derek Odell led the offense with two hits and two RBIs.

Finnegan (9-3) was masterful through 6.1 innings. He allowed two runs on three hits, walked two and struck out seven. Trey Teakell pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a pair of hits. Riley Ferrell struck out four of the five batters he faced to pick up his 15th save of the season.

TCU showed early it had the bats going but strong defensive plays by the Waves kept the Frogs off the scoreboard. The Frogs had four hits in the second inning, but made two outs at third. The Frogs threatened again in the third as they loaded the bases on two hits and a walk. Waves’ starter Corey Miller (9-5) wiggled off the hook with an infield fly and a long fly ball.

TCU finally capitalized in the fourth to take a 2-0 lead. With two outs, Keaton Jones lined a single into left to get things started. Kyle Bacak followed with a base hit and Cody Jones was hit by the pitch to load the bases. Odell cashed in on the RBI opportunity as he lined a single just over the leaping third baseman to drive in two.

The Horned Frogs added to their lead in the fifth, taking advantage of a lead-off walk to Kevin Cron. Garrett Crain followed with a base hit to put runners on the corners. With one out, Dylan Fitzgerald reached on a fielder’s choice to push the lead to 3-0.

Pepperdine began to mount a rally in the seventh after a one-out walk to Hutton Moyer. Chris Fornaci launched his second home run of the season over the left field fence to pull the Waves within one, 3-2. Teakell came on and got the final two outs of the inning to keep the lead in tact.

More trouble awaited the Frogs in the eighth as the Waves got the first two batters on. Brown sacrificed the runners into scoring position with one out, prompting another pitching change.

Ferrell did his job as he fanned Brad Anderson for the second out then got Aaron Barnett to ground out to end the inning. Ferrell made quick work of the ninth inning, striking out the side to close out the game.

No. 14 UC Irvine 1, No. 3 Oklahoma State 0

Andrew Morales pitched a five-hit shutout to lead UC Irvine to a 1-0 victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday night, clinching the super regional series and sending the Anteaters to the College World Series.

UC Irvine (40-23) advanced to Omaha for first time since 2007 and just the second time overall since becoming a Division I program in 2002.

The two-game sweep continues an unlikely run for the Anteaters, who entered the Corvallis regional last week as the No. 3 seed on a six-game losing streak. But they upset national No. 1 seed Oregon State to advance.

The Anteaters scored the game’s only run in the first inning on Jonathan Munoz’s RBI double.

Oklahoma State (48-18) was hosting a Super Regional for the first time and seeking its first trip to the College World Series since 1999.